Suspected thieves blow up house

Two men suspected of attempting to steal copper pipe from a boarded-up house in West Bromwich got a nasty shock when they blew up the property, the Daily Mirror reports.

One of the men was blown out of an upstairs window in the blast, which police believe was caused by the men sawing through a pipe or lighting a cigarette without first checking the gas was disconnected.

Following the mishap, police evacuated the entire street "as structural engineers inspected adjoining buildings for damage". ®